How to Keep Your Voice Sounding Spry

People are very interested in aging well.  Appearances, physical health and mental health often get most of the attention.  Today I found this article that discusses how to keep your voice sounding spry.  Heaven forbid our voice sounds "old".  Those who work so hard at keeping fit, healthy and young at heart can't hide their age if the voice sounds old and raspy.

From the article, New Treatments Keep the Aging Voice Spry:

Tips for Preserving Speech for a Lifetime:

• Drink at least 64 ounces of water a day to maintain hydration.
• Support the voice from abdominal muscles when speaking or singing.
• Avoid "vocally abusive" activities such as yelling, screaming, coughing and throat-clearing.
• Warm up the voice before using it.
• Don't talk or sing at unnatural pitches.
• Stay away from over-the-counter medications such as aspirin, which thin the blood and increase the risk of bleeding of the vocal folds.
• Drinks including caffeine and alcohol remove moisture from your system and should each be counteracted with an equal-sized glass of water.

Those days of "vocally abusive" yelling, screaming, coughing and throat-clearing should be long gone for those who want a beautiful voice.  So I advise, don't try to talk to your companion at the next concert.  If you have to cough, do it lightly.  Clear your throat with caution.  

See the complete article here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/03/30/4378164/new-treatments-keep-the-aging.html

Photo credit: http://www.increaseyourvocalrange.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/iStock_000013702862XSmall3.jpg

In the words of William James, I don't sing because I'm happy; I'm happy because I sing. 

Have a great day,

Angela Gentile

Should I Really Join Facebook?

Read it all the way through! It's a good laugh! AND really quite true!! A good laugh for people in the over 50 group !!! When I bought my Blackberry, I thought about the 30-year business I ran with 1800 employees, all without a cell phone that plays music, takes videos, pictures and communicates with Facebook and Twitter. I signed up under duress for Twitter and Facebook, so my seven kids, their spouses, 13 grandkids and 2 great grandkids could communicate with me in the modern way. I figured I could handle something as simple as Twitter with only 140 characters of space. That was before one of my grandkids hooked me up for Tweeter, Tweetree, Twhirl, Twitterfon, Tweetie and Twittererific Tweetdeck, Twitpix and something that sends every message to my cell phone and every other program within the texting world. My phone was beeping every three minutes with the details of everything except the bowel movements of the entire next generation. I am not ready to live like this. I keep my cell phone in the garage in my golf bag. The kids bought me a GPS for my last birthday because they say I get lost every now and then going over to the grocery store or library. I keep that in a box under my tool bench with the Blue tooth [it's red] phone I am supposed to use when I drive. I wore it once and was standing in line at Barnes and Noble talking to my wife and everyone in the nearest 50 yards was glaring at me. I had to take my hearing aid out to use it, and I got a little loud. I mean the GPS looked pretty smart on my dash board, but the lady inside that gadget was the most annoying, rudest person I had run into in a long time. Every 10 minutes, she would sarcastically say, "Re-calc-u-lating." You would think that she could be nicer. It was like she could barely tolerate me. She would let go with a deep sigh and then tell me to make a U-turn at the next light. Then if I made a right turn instead...well, it was not a good relationship. When I get really lost now, I call my wife and tell her the name of the cross streets and while she is starting to develop the same tone as Gypsy, the GPS lady, at least she loves me. To be perfectly frank, I am still trying to learn how to use the cordless phones in our house. We have had them for 4 years, but I still haven't figured out how I can lose three phones all at once and have to run around digging under chair cushions and checking bathrooms and the dirty laundry baskets when the phone rings. The world is just getting too complex for me. They even mess me up every time I go to the grocery store. You would think they could settle on something themselves but this sudden "Paper or Plastic?" every time I check out just knocks me for a loop. I bought some of those cloth reusable bags to avoid looking confused, but I never remember to take them in with me. Now I toss it back to them. When they ask me, "Paper or Plastic?" I just say, "Doesn't matter to me. I am bi-sacksual." Then it's their turn to stare at me with a blank look. I was recently asked if I tweet. I answered, No, but I do toot a lot.." P.S. I know some of you are not over 50. I sent it to you to allow you to forward it to those who are. We senior citizens don't need anymore gadgets. The TV remote and the garage door remote are about all we can handle.

  

Anti-Aging Bashing by Jamie Lee Curtis

Jamie Lee Curtis, 53

North America needs more people like Jamie Lee Curtis.  She is appalled that our culture has associated the word "anti" before the word aging.  She wishes that we (as a North American culture) could embrace the "older and wiser" view of aging like many other cultures and populations around the world.  She says its a normal and natural process of life.

Jamie Lee Curtis looks great for her age.  She is 53 years young.  She also advocates for people taking good care of themselves.  She wants men and boys to honor their women and to speak appropriately about women.  You Go Girl!

See the full article here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2119346/Jamie-Lee-Curtis-disgust-Americas-fight-ageing.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Cheers!
Angela Gentile

Love Keeps Julia Roberts Looking Young

 

Julia Roberts (44), well known actor in the USA, states that "love" is the secret to looking young.

She has a husband, three young children, and looks in the mirror once a day.  Happiness and the love of a good man, who she calls her Prince Charming, keep her looking good.

She also admits to keeping up "maintenance".

See the full story here: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/celebrities/julia-roberts-love-keeps-me-looking-young-143768666.html

Have a great day!
Angela Gentile

Living Longer and Being Happy About It

Laura Carstensen , Professor of Psychology and the Fairleigh S. Dickinson Jr. Professor in Public Policy at Stanford University, talks about the positivity factor:  How older people enjoy enhanced well-being in their later years. She believes that longer lives can and will improve quality of life at all ages.

The video is very inspirational and has great graphs and other visual aids.

See the video here (11:53): "TEDxWomen - Laura Carstensen" http://youtu.be/im0F91tUiek

Have a great day!
Angela Gentile

Preventing Falls in the Home

The dreaded trip, slip and fall.

There is an increased risk for falls in people aged 65 and over.  I came aross this short, helpful video on fall prevention in the home and wanted to share it here.  I have heard of many trips and falls in the home, resulting in devastating outcomes.  See this video for simple tips on how to make your home a no-fall zone.

Simple Ways to Create a No Fall Zone in Your Home:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Weti3W4LByQ

Have a great day,
Angela Gentile

Remodeling Dated Long Term Care Facilities

The book, "aD2 now" is a book about remodelling and updating long term care facilities to accommodate the growing population of people living with dementia.

From the first page,

"The studio projects of the Carleton University Masters of Architecture students investigate

the issues facing Long Term Care facilities in Ontario. With the support of Carleton University Masters of Social Work students they have coordinated their efforts in (aD2)vocating for the residents of these facilities. The work is expressed through the identification elements of mind-body architecture and applied to a test project in Toronto, Ontario."

Social work and architecture students at Carleton University teamed up and provide advice on things like: wood ceilings, central nursing stations, therapeutic baths, taller windows, and continuous handrails.

As the population ages and more and more people are requiring 24-hour supervised care due to declining cognitive functioning, the older dated personal care homes will benefit from an update.

To see the article Architecture Book Lays Blueprint for Dementia Care on Canada.com, go to this link: http://www.canada.com/health/Architecture+book+lays+blueprint+dementia+care/6326031/story.html

Go to this link to view the online copy of "aD2 now" - http://newsroom.carleton.ca/wp-content/files/aD2-now.pdf

Regards,
Angela Gentile

Fraud Prevention

An easy way to prevent fraud, is by changing your PIN (personal identification number) on your bank cards, debit/cash cards or credit cards.

In Toronto there was an event called, Change Your PIN Day, which was geared towards older adults and immigrants.  It's a good message for everyone.  I think many of us get into old habits and use the same PIN for a very long time.  We never get "prompted" to change our PINs like we get prompted to change our password on our computers at work.

See the full article, Fraud Prevention Event, here: http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/03/20/fraud-prevention-event-will-educate-elderly-and-new-immigrants-on-importance-of-changing-pin-numbers/

Sincerely,
Angela Gentile

Gerontechnology

Gerontechnology is a term used to answer the question, "What can we make that will allow people to keep on doing what they do as long as possible?". 

I read a great article from the Vancouver Sun about "Super Senior" role models, bouncy floors, biometric sensors, smart canes, belts with built-in airbags and more.  It is likely that a lot of people will be intending to work past age 65-67, so we need to adapt our workplaces to accommodate and prevent falls.

We should also apply a lot of these gerontechnologies beyond the workplace.

We also have to have an environment that will help people "bounce back" after a fall.

Check out the article, "Helping Seniors Bounce Back From Falls" here: http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Helping+seniors+bounce+back+from+falls/6328591/story.html

Regards,
Angela Gentile

A Happy, Stress-free Life is Key to Longevity

India's Manohar Aich says that happiness and stress-free living is key to longevity.  He should know.  He's just turned 100 and he is India's former Mr. Universe.

I would agree that for most, happiness and a life free of stress would help us live a more healthy lifestyle.  Stress has been known to cause more problems with our health.  Being happy and stress-free can help us live longer.

See the full article here:  http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/world/indias-former-mr-universe-turns-100-says-happiness-stress-free-life-key-to-his-longevity-143094626.html

Have a happy, stress-free day.

Angela Gentile

Getting Older and Happier

New, encouraging information for those who are over 45.  Expect to get happier as we encounter middle age, according to a new happiness study involving 10,000 people in the UK and the US.  Found this in theguardian, life & style section.  Great findings and tips on weight, sleep, depression, and more.

See the full article here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/mar/13/new-happiness-study-older-people.

Cheers,
Angela Gentile

Top 10 Hotspots for Longevity

Monaco

Found this article on HuffPost Living, Canada.  Want to live longer?  Maybe you should move to Monaco.

The top 10 places that people live the longest include: Italy, Hong Kong and Monaco. In Monaco, you can live to an average of almost 90 years.  This article has some beautiful pictures as well.

See the full article here, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/14/longevity-hotspots_n_1339786.html?ir=Canada%20Living#s774605&title=10_Italy

Cheers,
Angela Gentile

The Plumped Up New Face - Bizarre or Beautiful?

Cindy Crawford

There are definitely two camps in the anti-aging business when it comes to facial reconstruction.  Those who "do it", and those who "don't".  I found this article that talks about the fact that celebrities and others who can afford, are seeking the "pushed out rather than pulled back" new face look.  Faces are getting plumper, and this look is being criticized.

As the article states, you can't tighten a prune to get a grape.  All's you end up with is a tight prune.

Check out the article, Ageless? It is so Ageing, Darling - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-2111494/Ageless-It-s-ageing-darling.html  by Mimi Spencer, Mail Online.

For an example of what kinds of changes can happen when botox and fillers are used, here's an article about our lovely popular, Cindy Crawford.  In this article, it is stated, "botox and fillers often have the unintended effect of making one look older."  Some of the comments report she is looking like Marie Osmond.   See what all the buzz is about here, in the article Cindy Crawford is different at the Caliche Rum launch:  Has she had work done? - http://www.celebitchy.com/213948/cindy_crawford_looks_different_at_the_cliche_rum_launch_has_she_had_work_done/ by Bedhead, Celebitchy,

Cheers,
Angela Gentile

Combating Ageism by Changing Our Language

I am an advocate for turning the notion that getting older is not such a great thing to getting older is something to look forward to.  I found this older article from the UK, "Elderly no longer acceptable word for older people", that describes the language that is used in the media is sometimes ageist and harmful.  They are saying that the word "elderly" should not be used.  Instead, using the term, "older adult" or "man" or "woman" with their age after, is more acceptable.  I would full-heartedly have to agree.

A 60-year-old is by no means elderly, as suggested by one of the people who was 65, who commented on the article.

See the article here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/4596139/Elderly-no-longer-acceptable-word-for-older-people.html

The World English Dictionary defines "elderly" as an adjective - quite old; past middle age.

Miriam-Webster Online defines "elderly" as rather old.

The real question is how does our society define "old".  Both of the above definitions refer to old, and elderly being quite or rather old.  When asked, each person will have a different opinion about what "old" means.  Some people think it's a number, other's think it's a state of mind.

I am often watching the media for signs of ageism (discriminating or prejudging people based on their age).  Our language has to change, so that we can start looking at aging in a positive light, verses a negative one.   Stereotyping people based on age, on the number of years they have been on this earth, is not fair and can cause negative impact on their lives.  Let's work on combating ageism in our communities.

Have a great day,
Angela Gentile